Stock Exchange of Thailand

The Stock Exchange of Thailand was founded on 30th April 1975, and came about after the collapse of what was formerly called the Bangkok Stock Exchange (BSE). The BSE was formed in 1961 with the well-intentioned purpose of increasing the standard of living in Thailand by fostering growth and investment, but it didn’t quite go to plan. The exchange failed to get very far off the ground, and trading volumes fell throughout the late 1960s, to the point where the exchange failed in the early 1970s and ceased to exist.

With the obvious problems facing the BSE, the Thai government undertook what was known as the Second National Economic and Social Development Plan between 1967 and 1971. This involved more rigorous research into the securities market, with the help of Columbia University’s Professor Sidney M. Robbins. The government’s careful research and planning led to the proposal to create a Securities Exchange of Thailand in 1974, and this organisation was eventually founded in April 1975. This time the exchange didn’t fail, and it changed its name in 1991 to the Stock Exchange of Thailand – which it still trades under today.

The SET index is the primary index used to follow the performance of the Stock Exchange of Thailand. It has been calculated since the exchange launched in 1975, and tracks all the stocks listed on the exchange.